Logarithmic Spirals: The Nautilus Reels Factory Tour
On a recent tour of the Nautilus reels factory in Miami, I got a glimpse of what goes into some of the industry’s finest saltwater reels. After four years of our offices being in such close proximity, it’s surprising that this didn’t happen sooner. But the wait was worthwhile. Now, I’m no expert on reels but I am a collector, owning about 30 or more and Nautilus reels are some of my favorites on the water. Being able to learn about what goes into these incredible instruments was not merely another day at work!
The Nautilus reel facility is located just fifteen minutes from our Miami Beach office near a small industrial park in a section of Miami called Doral. Doral and neighboring Hialeah are known as trade-rich districts home to hundreds of manufacturers of all kinds. Craftsman from around the world have set up shops here where they manufacture everything from hurricane windows to high-end saltwater fly reels. I won’t bore you describing the nuances of hurricane glass but I will walk you through the Nautilus shop in some detail.
The owner of Nautilus reels, Kristen Mustad, greeted me enthusiastically as we began our tour. He described in detail what each machine was doing and the parts that it produced. The factory uses various CNC machines some of which are responsible for frames and spools and some that cut drag casings, knobs and shoes. Reaching over to a stack of random manufactured pieces, he pointed out minute flaws before tossing them into the waste bucket. “After you do this for so many years, you know what to look for,” he quipped with a slight smirk. He wasn’t being arrogant; he just knows his products. Kristen explained the step-by-step process of how his reels are made as we moved from station to station. As we walked around, he conversed with his staff in perfect Spanish, one of the dominant languages in Doral and Hialeah.
Before it is “Tested on Animals” (which is our favorite tag line), the reels start with aluminum bar stock or rod stock that is cut on an industrial saw. The size of the rod stock determines the diameter of the reel as there is not much room for waste when premium aluminum costs around $18 per pound. There’s almost a pound of waste for every ounce in a reel. At the first station, a small tool similar to a wood lathe cuts half-inch aluminum bar stock to create the case for the sealed drag system. After the block or round bar stock aluminum is screwed to the CNC machine for cutting, it is tumbled to remove burrs. Next comes the hand inspection and hand finishing using a proprietary mix of solutions before it is finally engraved and receives its knobs.
The original Nautilus reels were based on the nautilus shell design. Over time, the designs have evolved in the interest of functionality. The goal has been to design a reel that is lighter and stronger so as to minimize casting fatigue. The new Nautilus X reels do just that with a minimal design having only four points of contact in an X pattern. The spool is still constructed using the traditional design, a graphic interpretation of the well known nautilus shell.
Kristen Mustad, Nautilus’s commander-in-chief, has machining in his blood. Having descended from a family of Norwegian machinists who began operating a machine shop in 1832, it is in some ways a natural occupation for him. The original shop, Mustad & Søn, specialized in all types of machined metal. It makes sense then that Kristen would follow 6+ generations of Mustad machinists and study tropical vegetation at college (needle screeches off the record here). Yes, we had a good laugh about it but Kristen started out essentially as a botanist. He switched professions after learning of a small machine shop in Miami that made fishing reels. He convinced the owner to sell and changed the vision of the company by introducing innovations including the awesome Nautilus vented shell design. This has always been a favorite. In fact, some competitors tried to imitate the design in the early days of the company. “It’s all math,” he stated as he pushed buttons on machines while endless lines of cutting instructions scrolled down the display screens. Once the machine is “taught” what to do, it operates independently and with such precision that the margin of error is less than 1/64 of an inch.
The magic and innovation is in the engineering design. Mustard & his Nautilus team have been quietly revolutionizing the fly reel industry for almost 30 years. Almost everyone has a reel with a red drag now but Nautilus was the first to introduce that trademark design. Another innovation, the little knob on the reel seat (which is called a hooker) keeps your leader out of the space between frame and spool. It’s another Nautilus trademark. One more is the Torq-X. The Torq-X clutch drive is a machined aluminum housing for the smallest and strongest one-way clutch on the market. It was both designed and commissioned by Nautilus. The nine-lug reinforced housing is press fit around the clutch and ensures a solid spool attachment and instant drag engagement every time. Most sealed drag systems use a similar type of clutch but none can boast that they are the smallest and strongest.
It was also nice to see that besides building stellar reels, Mustad supports the arts as well. Among other random “collectables” in the factory, there is an old vinyl flag which has the original Nautilus logo hanging prominently above the entrance. With a big smile, he explained that he had a contest for a logo design and that was the winner. He also offers engraved fish species that were designed by local Miami fish artist Jorge Martinez. Mustard had four artists creating works at his IFTD trade show booth this July as well.
Smaller and lighter has always been the overriding goal of reel manufacturers and Nautilus continues to push the limits. From the CCF, NV, FWX, CCF-X2 Silver King or the X-Series, Nautilus delivers. I currently have four Nautilus reels in my collection and will soon be adding a fifth, a completely custom TAIL FLY MAG reel with logo. I failed to mention that they can customize your reel using any color combination or engravings. Custom orders take a minimum of eight weeks so don’t procrastinate if you want it for the spring. I’ll post pics on Instagram when mine arrives.
